A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Romania's seismically active Vrancea region, felt across parts of Bulgaria and Moldova.
Key Facts
- Moment Magnitude
- 5.7 Mw
- Depth
- 39 km
- Duration
- 30 seconds
- Mercalli Intensity
- VI (Strong)
- Nearest Town
- Mărășești, 6 km from epicenter
- Local Magnitude (Galați/Focșani)
- over 6.0 Mw
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Vrancea seismic zone in Romania is one of Europe's most active intermediate-depth earthquake sources, situated where the Eurasian and African tectonic plates interact. This zone regularly produces significant seismic events due to the subduction of oceanic lithosphere beneath the Carpathian arc.
On 22 November 2014 at 21:14:17 local time, a moment magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Vrancea County at a depth of 39 kilometers, lasting approximately thirty seconds. It registered Mercalli intensity VI (Strong), with local magnitudes exceeding 6.0 reported near Galați and Focșani.
The earthquake was felt well beyond Romania's borders, reaching northern Bulgaria and the Moldovan capital Chișinău. Several towns near the epicenter experienced notable shaking, though no casualties or major structural damage are recorded in the available source material.